Aiming for Prevention:
Making Gun Safety a Priority for America's Children
According to a study of emergency room data, more than seven thousand children are hospitalized each year due to accidents or injuries from guns; approximately six percent of them do not survive their injuries (Miller, 2014). Gun owners have a responsibility to ensure that their firearms are appropriately stored and secured in order to keep them out of the hands of children. There are several different ways to secure firearms, such as trigger and cable locks, gun safes, and lock boxes. However, in addition to securing firearms, educating children on gun safety should be a priority in the United States. Gun sales are increasing year after year, and it is estimated
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The program never mentions the NRA. Nor does it encourage children to buy guns or to become NRA members ("Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program," 2012, para. 6).
Furthermore, the NRA program ensures that their Eddie Eagle mascot is never depicted touching a firearm, nor is the mascot allowed in the presence of guns. Educating children about gun safety in a neutral setting by eliminating program sponsor information is key to getting the message across.
Another successful program developed in 1992 by the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence, called Straight Talk About Risks, or STAR, utilizes some of the same principles as the Eddie Eagle program, but also includes several other significant components such as, role-playing and strategies for dealing with anger and fear.
The additional components offered through STAR would help children know how to cope with peer pressure and peacefully resolve conflict. Additionally, STAR encourages parents to discuss the dangers of firearms with their children. They also provide information to ensure that firearms remain secure and inaccessible to children ("Straight Talk About Risks,"
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Gun owners should not assume that they have a suitable hiding place for their weapons, and that their children will not find it. Children have the uncanny ability to find things that are meant to be withheld from them. In fact, a study involving parents and their children showed that thirty-nine percent of those kids knew where their parent’s kept firearms; twenty-two percent admitted to handing the gun (Boodman, 2006). In any household with children and firearms, gun safety begins in the home with the parents; first by keeping their firearms locked and secure from their children, then by having a conversation about guns. Some parents go a step further by allowing supervised handling of an unloaded firearm, which may resolve some of their children’s curiosity. However, for children who do not have firearms in their homes, it is important to have the conversation in school in the event they come across a firearm at a friend’s
Through the year’s shootings have increased by a significant amount. Individuals are becoming affected on a regular basis and are concerned about there safety. Parents are worried for there youth getting assaulted, sexually violence, tormented, kidnaped, murdered on the other hand, now there ending up to be more stressed for there child getting shot. Guns have been around for hundredths of years, both world wars were succeeded with guns, hence, guns were served to defend its nation through history. In Western society citizens purchase guns for self preservation. Unfortunately, they are utilized in opposing ways, the majority of crimes are involved in gun shootings; this is an essential issue in America. Most agree that gun violence will have
This article gives a good understanding from a teacher’s standpoint, which most other articles just focus on the government. Obeng focuses on students who may bring a gun into the school and kids who have access to weapons at home rather than just criminals, which is also a good point of view for readers to understand. The authors focus is to show that most teachers are for the students being taught gun safety because they believe it will help the safety of students and the community (p.398). A problem I saw with this study is that was done in 2010, which was before the Sandy Hook incident that took place in 2012 that would probably influence some teachers decision. The Sandy Hook shooting was a focus point in other articles and makes this research study by Obeng a little outdated for this topic. Although I am interested in the teachers view for gun safety, I also believe Obeng would have a stronger case with a larger group of teachers and maybe a separate study with the parents’ opinion on teaching children about gun
Tyrrell, R. Emmett, Jr. "The National Rifle Association's Deterrent to Gun Violence." The American Spectator. (2013): Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Web. 31 Oct. 2013
Some of the deaths that were caused by gun violence was dealt to small children.Having a firearm in your home can cause a great risk if you have a child in your home because a firearm can be accessed by a child.In many situation the child is playing with firearm without adult supervision and end up either wounding themselves or end up dead. According to CNN “Guns kill Nearly 1,300 US children each year.”Also when a firearm is easily accessible a child will often grab a hold of it and it could be a possibility that they can take it to school there were some cases where a kid took a firearm to school and opened
Violence related to guns is a prominent issue in America. Guns are a means to an end; meaning guns have played a strong role in suicides, murders, and injuries. In the past decade there has been an average of 400-500 thousand incidents of firearms per year (Gun Violence). The number of injured people from firearm incidents in the United States per year for the past decade is 400-600 thousand people (Gun Violence). These statistics are absolutely shocking to anyone. The amount of violence and crime that comes from guns is enormous. It is imperative that proper gun control is put into place by means of background checks and proper training. It can almost be certain that the number of incidents of accidental discharges from children and the number of victims affected by gun crimes in general can be highly reduced.
The NRA, National Rifle Association, is a group with ever growing interest in our society today. With the rise of gun related violence and public shootings has both promoted and hurt the reputation of the NRA. Not only has the NRA been a large talking point, but gun reform overall too. With the rise of violence with the use of guns, Gun control has been a big dilemma congress is trying to overcome. The big discussion is how far the government should go with gun control without overstepping the second amendment. Many people want large gun reform, but the NRA is the protector of the second amendment to a sense, in turn stepping up their involvement. This has turned many people against the NRA and many people believe they are a anti-safety and a narrow minded both politically and racially. Before we can evaluate who the NRA is today and what the stand for, we must first know how their public image has progressed.
Rostron, Allen, and Brian Siebel. "No Gun Left Behind: The Gun Lobby's Campaign to Push Guns into Colleges and Schools." Www.bradycampaign.org. N.p.: Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, 2007. 9-11. Rpt. in Juvenile Crime. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
More than 20,000 children and youth under the age of 20 years old are injured or killed by guns in the U.S. The easy accesses kids have to getting their hands on guns are a major reason why firearms are the second leading cause of death among the youth. The majority of deaths by guns in the youth are homicides. About one-third of them are suicides. Seven percent are unintentional. People living in urban areas such as, older teens, males, African American youth, and Hispanic youth are more likely to be involved in gun homicides. People in rural areas like males and Caucasian youth are more likely to commit suicide. There were 2,711 infant, child, and teen firearm deaths. That’s seven deaths a day.
The NRA commenced promoting shooting sports to American youth by establishing rifle clubs at major colleges, universities, and military academies. Shooting clubs continue on college and university...
We fail to see the haunting truth that children die every day, not at the hands of illness or accidents, but at the mercy of an unforgiving gun. The short animated film, If Anything Happens I Love You, and the essay, The Science Is Clear: Gun Control Saves Lives both call for awareness
Studies in the United States show that from 2012 to 2014, about 1,297 children died as a result of a gun-related injury caused either by themselves or another child. Because the weapons are purchased and are left around kids, they do not realize that they not only can hurt other people around them but themselves as
A ubiquitous defense used by supporters of gun control is the claim that adding more restrictions and precautions into the firearm license application process deter crime. Yet a 2013 study indicates that, between 1980 and 2009, "assault weapons bans did not significantly affect murder rates at the state level.” It goes on to report, "states with restrictions on the carrying of concealed weapons had higher gun-related murders." Moreover, Kyle Wintersteen, Managing Editor of Guns and Ammo, says studies show that "children taught about firearms and their legitimate uses by family members have much lower rates of delinquency than children in households without guns" and "children introduced to guns associate them with freedom, security, and recreation—not violence." What is needed to
What is someone’s first thought when they hear the word firearm? Fear, safety, pride, unfairness, or other conflicting emotions. The topic of firearms not only in Colorado, but also in the United States has always been a controversial problem. People want safety; it is when fear overrides this instinct that problems arise. A current problem that is presenting itself in the United States is whether or not firearms safety should be taught in school. A firearm is a pistol, rifle, or any other portable gun. This proclamation would teach kids as young as elementary schools how to properly handle and fire a firearm; however, not everyone is for this ruling.
Current gun laws need reform because there are too many accidental shootings involving young children. Children are at risk. They are curious, so when guns are in a home and not locked up, they have a chance of misusing a gun just because they are exploring the adult world. Chief editor of the NLCATP states, “proponents of the 2nd Amendment sometimes even complain about laws that require a weapon to be secured, citing the idea that if your gun is locked up how will it protect you.” The likeliness of an intruder coming into someone’s home is slim. A child is likely to be in the home everyday. A home security system could prevent a break in from an intruder or allow time for the police to come. With the extra time, a secured gun could be accessed.
Gun safety is a subject that has been a main topic in the past few years among many, especially within politics. It is something that has become a substantial topic in the past few years due to many shootings and accidents that have occurred with today’s youth. It is a topic that needs to be addressed.